After the War
by nikeblue35
Summary: My take on what happened between the DoTU and the VF series. Some swearing and some steamy clinches. Disclaimer: It may seem familiar, and that's because this isn't the first time it's been posted, just not here.
1. Chapter 1

Interior Castle of Lions Control room

5 years previously

"I don't care what anyone else says the Lions were sabotaged!" Pidge shouts. The shout echoes through the Control Room.

Hunk growls in agreement. "We went over the lions ourselves before we left Arus for the ceremony. Nothing was wrong!"

Keith backs up his teammates, "The question is not what went wrong, but who caused it?" As always the commander cuts right to the heart of the matter. His question causes a silence to fall over the control room. Only the beeping and whirring of the communication monitors are heard.

"We have to find out." Keith continues.

Allura agrees. "Until we know what happened and who did it we can't risk using the lions or Voltron to rebuild Arus."

Another silence falls. This one is heavier and sadder. They all know that the people of Arus were counting on Voltron and the lions to speed up construction on their homes and remove some of the remnants of the decade long battle with Planet Doom.

Coran steps into the room having heard the Princess's last words. "I have just spoken to the Garrison council and they all agreed that the lions and Voltron cannot be used. Your Highness, in order to remain a member of the Alliance and receive help to rebuild our world we have to agree to never use the lions again."

His words are like a bomb dropped in the middle of the room. Pidge's jaw hangs open in shock. Lance's eyes are narrowed in anger. Keith's expression grows cold and remote with anger and Hunk punches one fist into another.

Allura recovers first. "Never? Than how are we to rebuild a planet totally destroyed by war? Voltron is our best hope and what happens if the Drules rise again?" Her usually soft voice hardens as she continues, "How are we expected to defend ourselves?"

Coran bows his head. "I pointed all this out to the council and they were not swayed. And I fear that is not the worst part. In order to make sure Arus complies with their ruling, one lion is to be moved off-world. Thus guaranteeing Voltron cannot be reformed in violation of the order."

The Princess's temper flares. "Never! The lions belong to Arus. I will never agree to such a term."

"Don't worry Princess we will fight anyone who tries," Lance states. He emphasizes his words by activating his Voltcom. Two glowing red laser pistols appear in his hands.

"Coran, what lion has to be moved?" Keith asks resignedly.

The diplomat sighs heavily. "I'm afraid they insisted on Black Lion."

Again his words fall like a bomb. But this time the shock results in an explosion of noise. Curses and shouts blend together making it impossible to hear what anyone is saying.

"Again, Your Highness, I tried to dissuade the council, but they were very insistent. Especially one high ranking member of the fleet named Wade."

Lance and Keith exchange startled glances at hearing the name.

Hunk growls and his huge hands clench into fists.

Allura looks at her four friends in confusion. "Who is Wade?" The Princess has not heard of him and wonders why he can provoke such a reaction from the team.

Keith, Lance, Hunk and Pidge look around at each other and finally Keith explains

"Wade, or as we knew him Commander Wade, was one of our flight instructors at the Academy. He was a good pilot." Keith begins.

Pidge snorts.

"But he wasn't a good instructor," Keith continues. "He liked to belittle the cadets, make you lose your temper under pressure and then you made mistakes which he would mark you down for."

The team turns to look at Lance.

"Once. It happened once," he defends himself.

Hunk chuckles. "And you ended up on probation for the rest of the year."

Goaded, Lance turns on Hunk. "Well, what about what he did to you?"

Allura and Coran look at Hunk. He reddens at their scrutiny.

Hunk coughs in embarrassment. "I was working in the shop garage and he came in. He ruined one of my mechanical projects. He said it was non-regulation and I had to build it all over again and missed the grading deadline."

Pidge's voice has an edge of anger when he clarifies the problem Wade causes for Hunk, "Hunk was nearly flunked out of the Academy, because of that!"

"Yeah, but he hated Keith the most," Lance adds. "Keith was a better pilot than Wade **and** some of the other cadets would go to Keith for help."

Allura smiles at the Commander. "Of course you helped them, Keith."

She has the rare satisfaction of seeing him blush.

He shrugs. "They wouldn't have been there if they couldn't do the job. I didn't do that much."

Allura sees the looks pass between the rest of the team and suspects Keith did more than he will admit to. She smiles again.

"But the worst was when we discovered the lions." Pidge continues. "You know that the Garrison didn't expect us to be successful." He pauses at Coran and Allura's nods. "When we did find them and reactivated Voltron, they wanted to put someone more experienced and higher ranking on the team."

"To make sure the Alliance could control Voltron." Allura remembers. Her mouth tightens at the memory. "Coran and I refused on the grounds that Voltron was strictly Arusian technology and only partially understood by our scientists even before we needed it for defense."

Coran picks up the thread of her tale. "And since the lions obviously chose all of you we couldn't jeopardize that connection for someone else."

"Well, you didn't know that Wade was one of the pilots the Garrison was going to send when you refused." Pidge relates.

The rest of the room stares at Pidge. He shrugs and grins slyly. "It's amazing how insecure the alliance network is, really. And what you can find if you happen to accidentally stumble onto someone's personnel file."

"So all this means is that Wade has a grudge against all of us. For one reason or another," Coran sums up neatly.

The Voltron Force realizes the same thing at the same time. As usual Lance expresses the thought first.

"Wade set us up!"

Keith is the calm voice of reason. "We don't know that, Lance."

"You mean we can't prove it!" Lance retorts hotly. "We all know he'd do anything to destroy your career."

Allura's quiet voice adds to the debate. "I think since they want Black Lion that means Lance is right. It is the heart of Voltron, as well as your lion. They could have asked for any other lion to make sure we can't form Voltron. But Coran says they insisted- _Wade insisted_- on Black Lion. That seems to be personal."

Coran nods in agreement. "It sounded like it. We have to consider the possibility that he had a hand in sabotaging the lions during the celebration. The question is why?"

Hunk blurts out, "Because he's jealous of us all!"

"Yeah!" Pidge agrees.

Coran smiles calmly. "You misunderstand me. He may very well have done that, because he is jealous and wants to harm you. But to risk people's lives during a victory celebration? For some petty revenge?" He shakes his head. "It makes no sense. He could stall promotions, transfer you to other assignments that are less visible. He has the ability to work through the military channels for revenge. There must be another motive."

Coran has the room's full attention now. He smiles at them all. "Do you think the King kept me around just because we were friends?"

Keith nods. "You're right Coran. He **can **do all that. And he has. Lance was denied a promotion right before we left for Arus because Wade had written him up during the Academy incident. They thought he was too reckless and undisciplined to make a good Lt. Commander. And Hunk was scheduled for an outpost assignment, but Admiral Graham insisted he be on the team with us. I heard that Wade argued with the Admiral about it before we left."

Later that night the Voltron Force meet in the common lounge after dinner. They re-hash the events of the day, but no one has a solution to the immediate problem to keep the lions on Arus and in use without sacrificing Arus' membership in the Alliance.

Finally exhausted and frustrated they give up and head to bed. For the first time in years they don't have to monitor Castle Control for invasions. There is a crew of newly recruited Royal Guards that have taken on that duty.

As is his habit, Keith escorts the Princess back to her quarters.

"Really Keith, I'm safe now," Allura protests. "Lotor is dead. No spies, no robeasts in the castle. You can go to bed."

"Humor me, Princess." He grins down at her. Allura feels her heart skip a beat at that smile. In all the years they have known each other she can count on one hand the times she's seen him smile with such joy and freedom. And even fewer times he's directed that expression at her.

"I swore to protect you, remember?" Her heart sinks at those words. "_Was the smile just relief that the war is over? Did he still see her as his duty?"_

Keith continues, "I also like spending this time with you. Just the two of us."

Allura's eyes sparkle with happiness. "Oh Keith. Sometimes this was the only part of my day that I looked forward to."

"Mine too, Allura." Again he smiles down at her with that joy she has so rarely seen. "It's even better tonight."

"Oh? Why?" She looks up at him with a hint of confusion. "Because the war is over?"

"No. Because of this." With that he leans down and brushes his lips over hers. The softness of their kiss causes Allura to shudder with pleasure.

Keith kisses her again. This time he caresses her mouth with his. Keith explores her lips until she gasps and his tongue touches hers.

Allura is suddenly weak and leans into Keith for strength as the pleasure races through her.

At last, they part a few inches.

"I promised myself that," Keith's voice cracks with passion.

"Oh," she whispers. "When?"

"About the same time I kissed your hand," he whispers back.

She smiles as she remembers that day. It seems so long ago. Since then she has experienced things she never dreamed of and some she never wanted to.

Footsteps behind the door to her suite have them jerking apart. "Meet me in the exercise room tomorrow morning before everyone else," Keith quickly whispers.

Allura nods. They step away from each other as the door slides open and Nanny looks out.

She sees Keith and nods at him. She appreciates the escort Keith gives her Princess, but she doesn't fully trust him.

"Come Princess." Nanny hustles her charge into the suite without a backward glance at the Commander.

Allura does look back and rolls her eyes in a very un-Princess like manner at Keith. He grins at her again and mouths "tomorrow."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The second sun hasn't risen yet over the horizon, and the sky is painted orange and pink heralding its arrival. The morning lake fog is wisping away with the heat of the first sunrise. Soft light brightens the exercise room casting shadows of the equipment on the wall.

Keith paces the exercise room anxiously waiting for the Princess to arrive. He strides from the wall of windows to the door. He checks the time and watches the light grow brighter and harsher with the imminent rising of the second sun. He knows that anyone can enter the training room, and he doesn't want to share this early morning time with anyone but Allura.

Meanwhile back in her suite Allura is trying to escape Nanny.

"But Princess, you don't need to train with those boys anymore! You can take up your royal duties like you should have been doing."

Allura calmly dresses in her exercise clothes ignoring the heavy formal gown that is being prepared for her to wear. "Nanny, even though the war is over, Arus is in ruins." Allura points out. "I am going to need all my strength to help my people rebuild." She draws on one her older memories to make her point. "I remember Father always took time for exercise." Since Alfor taught his children archery and how to swim, Nanny can't argue.

Nanny nods reluctantly in agreement. "Yes, the King did. But..."

"No, buts." Allura interrupts. "You seem to forget that **I** am the Princess of Arus and do not need your permission to walk around my castle."

Stunned at the rare rebuke Nanny steps back in shock. With a red face she bows her head and curtsies to the Princess. "Yes, Your Highness."

Allura sighs at the slight guilty twinge she feels. Nanny is devoted and she loves her dearly, but the overprotectiveness and the demands in the last few years has grown suffocating. More and more Nanny has tended to overstep her authority as a royal governess, especially in public. Even Coran has commented on it.

As Nanny leaves the room, Allura sighs again, this time in relief. She checks the time and hurries out the door. Quickly she covers the ground from her quarters to the un-used public wing of the Castle where they set up a training room for the residents.

She slows when she gets to the door of the gym. Hearing nothing she hesitates.

Keith looks up from his pacing when he hears a footstep.

"Allura?" He goes to the doorway. "What are you doing out there?" Smiling, he pulls her into the room and closes the door.

She giggles at his actions. "Hi." she whispers.

He quirks one eyebrow. "Good morning." Without waiting for an answer he swoops down and kisses her.

Allura's arms find their way around Keith's neck and he pulls her close to him as he explores her mouth in all the ways he has dreamed of for years.

Allura moans and strains to be closer to him. Keith runs a hand down her hair and wraps his arms around her. Resting his hands at the base of her spine, he pulls her up against him. The full body contact electrifies them both. Keith feels his body surge at the feel of her hips cradling his.

Allura is amazed at the sensations she feels. She wriggles closer to him pressing her breasts even closer to his chest. The feel of his hard chest excites her and she plays with his hair curling at the back of his neck.

Keith moans at the intimate move and trails his lips down her cheek and neck to the notch in her collarbone. The soft, spicy, exotic scent she uses fills his senses as he kisses her there. He can feel her heart racing with excitement underneath his lips.

Another gasp sounds in the quiet room as he gently nips her.

Allura winds her arms around Keith's neck to support herself. The intense passion she feels is beyond any of her imaginings. She moans again and leans totally on him.

The full body contact shocks Keith to his senses. He pulls away from her and runs a hand through his hair trying to regain some semblence of control.

He laughs shakily. "First chance I get, I practically attack you. Nanny was right to not trust me."

Allura steps in closer. "Am I complaining?"

Keith steps back keeping a distance between them. "No, but that's not the point."

Allura chases after him. "What _is_ the point, Commander?" she asks teasingly. She has closed the distance between them again.

Keith groans. "You spend way too much time with Lance," he tells her. His tone turns serious. "The point is, that I wanted to spend time with you. Not talking about the lions, training, duty schedules, battle strategy, or any of the other things our conversations revolved around these past few years. And then the first time I get you alone, I nearly inhale you."

Allura studies his lean, tanned face. She realizes that he is upset with himself.

She reaches out to touch him and he lets her. "I wanted this, Keith," she says gently. "To be honest, I want more."

He flinches at her words. "Don't tell me that," he warns. "It's too soon." The passion in his eyes turn them dark blue instead of the pale color she is getting accustomed to.

"Too soon! We've known each other for years!" she yells.

"And those were ideal circumstances?" he bites off. "In the ruined and bombed out castle where I pledged to protect you? When you stole Black Lion? All the times you were kidnapped and threatened by Lotor? Damnit, I couldn't even ask you to dance with me at a reception!" his voice rises to a shout with each question. "Is it too much to ask for we have some type of normality for once in this relationship?"

Keith stalks over to the exercise bag and slams his fist into it. It swings back and he kicks out at it.

"No," she says after watching him regain his control.

"No, what?" he snaps.

"No, it's not too much to ask. And it's kind of nice in a way. I've heard some of the castle staff talk about their relationships and wondered what a 'date' would be like." Those deadly emerald eyes peer up at him innocently.

Keith sighs. He knows when he's beaten. And he isn't complaining about it. "Allura, would you like to go on a date with me?" he asks smiling down at her.

She giggles. "How nice of you to ask," she replies with a grin. "Yes, I would."

"Yep, waay too much time with Lance," he mutters shaking his head. "So, Allura what would you like to do on our first date?"

Her eyes widen. "Is this normal?"

"Asking a Princess on a date? No, not for me." he answers with a grin.

She blushes. "I meant you asking what I wanted to do?"

Keith is startled. "I know you've never been on a date, Princess, but listening to the staff and no doubt, Lance, didn't you know it's something we both enjoy?" As soon as the words are out of his mouth he knows it was the wrong thing to say.

The sense of humor that is one of his favorite things about her comes into play. "Hmmm, is kissing considered a whole date? If so, what about today? Maybe this is..." Keith shuts her up by kissing her again.

"No, it's not a whole date, which you know. Maybe a picnic? Swimming would be nice." One eyebrow quirks as he continues, "I always did like that bikini you have." Allura blushes remembering the time she wore it and lost her top.

"But a normal first date on Earth is coffee or lunch." He shrugs, "Would you like that?"

Allura wrinkles her nose and shakes her head at that suggestion.

"There's always dinner," he suggests.

"We have dinner together every night, Keith," she protests.

"Not alone," he points out. "Not together. I could cook," he offers.

"Can you teach me to rock climb?" she asks.

"What? How did you know?" Keith is startled that she knows he climbs. Not even the team knows how often he climbs and how long he's been doing it.

"That flower you gave me on your birthday. They only grow in the cliffs of Arus. You had to have climbed up or down to get it. Besides Hunk mentioned you used to climb on Academy breaks. I think it's fascinating."

Keith hesitates. He knows Nanny will throw a fit when she hears of Allura doing something more dangerous than knitting.

"Please?" She kisses him on the cheek.

Keith smiles down at her. "You can do better than that, Princess," his eyes dare her to come closer.

Allura blushes. Despite her fantasies and the last few minutes she's never initiated a kiss.

She moves closer to him and quickly kisses his lips.

"Hmm, not a real good convincing kiss," Keith teases. "I thought you liked me." He grins down at her.

Allura laughs. "You never teased me before!"

Keith shrugs. "Not much anyway. I couldn't really."

She nods, understanding the barriers the war and her station and his duties placed between them.

"So are you going to kiss me?" Keith wonders.

"I did!"

"That? I got better kisses from my cousins in Japan." He waves off the kiss. "That's not gonna convince me to brave the wrath of Nanny and take you rock climbing." Keith retorts.

"Ooh!" Allura stamps her foot. Keith waits quietly with his arms at his sides. Allura steps closer to him. She reaches up and brushes his lips gently. She tries to remember how he kissed her night before and to replicate how. She slides her arms around his neck and threads her fingers through his hair bringing his head closer to hers.

She nips his lower lip before breaking the kiss.

Keith is breathing heavily. He shakes his head. "That's a-" he shakes his head again. "So rock climbing? What about tomorrow?"

Allura saunters out of the exercise room. "I'll check my schedule, Commander." She shoots him a grin over her shoulder.

Keith groans as he watches her walk away from him. "Oh yeah, way too much time with Lance. Gonna have to do something about that."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Keith enters his office knowing that the paperwork has been piling up over the past week. Between his stolen moments with the Princess and the building projects the team has taken on to help the Arusians to supplement the loss of Voltron, his paperwork dropped to one of the last things he wants to do. Today, while they weren't able to go on their date, Allura was able to sneak an hour out of her schedule to spend it with him in a hidden alcove in the garden. Hours later the mere memory of their kisses keeps him partially aroused.

Keith sighs. It was difficult to get work done before he acknowledged his feelings for Allura. Now he can barely think of anything else. He turns to his cluttered desk and begins to sort out the mess.

A knock on his door stops his cleaning.

"Yes?"

The new communication officer salutes. "Commander, an encoded transmission from Earth has just arrived."

Keith sighs. "Can you rout it to my workstation, Ensign?" he asks.

The young officer nods.

"Good. Do that." Keith dismisses him with a nod.

"Yes, sir." He salutes and the door hisses shut behind him.

A few minutes later Keith sits back in his chair stunned. He runs a shaking hand through his hair as he tries to think.

Keith shoves away from his desk and paces the small room fiercely. As he moves his anger increases.

The workstation chimes suddenly. The unique sound tells him it's from the Garrison on a secure line.

Keith slaps on the screen and glares at the man on the other end.

"Ah Commander. Good day. I assume you have read your new orders?"

Keith nods.

"Fine. How have the rest of the Voltron Force reacted?" asks Admiral Graham.

Keith stays silent.

"I asked a question Commander." An edge has entered into the Admiral's voice.

"I haven't told them yet," Keith hesistates before adding the sir to the end of the sentence.

Graham frowns, but lets the subtle insult pass.

"Do I have to order you to do so?"

"Nope," he answers shortly. Keith sits down behind his desk and considers propping his boots up in front of the screen.

"Keith, I understand that you're angry. But you must realize I had nothing to do with your new assignments." The Admiral has dropped his official demeanor. "I know that you and the team are still needed on Arus, but my influence isn't what it used to be," he finishes sadly.

"You signed them," Keith points out.

"Yes, I did. But did you wonder why it took so long for your orders to arrive?"

He shrugs. Keith did wonder as well as the rest of the team. After Coran's observations they discussed the fact that their new orders might be politically motivated. He thought he was prepared for that, but the reality was much worse than any of them thought.

"I am sorry, Keith." The Admiral says over the chat. "I know it's not worthy of your team. I tried to change your assignment."

Finally it's too much for him. His rare temper explodes. "**It's not about ME, Admiral! Do you think I care about promotions and medals and choice assignments!? Really? What about these people? They're barely able to feed themselves thanks to a decade of war! And this is how we have to treat them? And they can't even use Voltron to help thanks to you all!**"

Admiral Graham nods sadly. "I will be contacting Arus officially in the morning. I would normally say contact me if you need anything, Keith."

"We both know that you can't help." he finishes bluntly.

"Not with this, Commander. I may be able to in other ways. Graham out."

Keith finishes his paperwork and schedule a message to be sent to Hunk, Lance, and Pidge for an early meeting in his office the next morning.

As he leaves his office he looks down the hallway toward the Princess's room and sighs. He turns away and heads to the control room.

The repeated thud of fists hitting a punching bag breaks the morning quiet in the Castle of Lions. Painted on the surface of the leather is a life sized replica of Lotor. One flying kick to Lotor's stomach sends the bag swinging nearly off the chain.

On the other side of the room a virtual reality treadmill whirs rapidly. A grunt and a groan of a body hitting the floor is heard as well.

Suddenly the treadmill stops.

"Hey buddy, you planning to let the rest of us beat on Lotor?" Lance asks as he crosses the room.

Keith picks up his towel and wipes his face off. The bag slowly stops swinging from his last assault.

"Yeah, go ahead," he says shortly.

But Lance doesn't move. "You okay? Been a while since you took on the bag."

Keith shrugs. "Today's a day for change."

"Yeah, right. Lotor's gone. What's with the beating?"

Keith shrugs again. "I'm gonna cool down." He stalks off to the treadmill and punches up a run to the lake near the castle.

"By the way Lance, meeting my office after lunch." Keith orders.

Hunk and Pidge turn away from their sparring as Keith plugs into the virtual run.

"Huh, Keith rarely runs on the treadmill," Pidge observes.

"Maybe it's the weather," Hunk says.

They turn and look out the windows that offer a panorama view of the Lion plain where the Castle is located.

It's pouring out and as they watch lighting strikes near the castle. Thunder rattles the windows.

"Uh, yeah maybe. But Keith doesn't like to run." Pidge points out the obvious. After years of working out together they all know each other's preferences. Keith is the martial artist and fencer. Pidge likes the gymnastic elements, such as the rings and he'll run several miles a week. Hunk is a brawler. Boxing, karate, and wrestling. Lance is more of an all-around guy, though he likes to beat up on the punching bag.

"He was beating the hell out of Lotor too." Lance points out.

The three look at Keith. Without another word they file out of the exercise room and head to breakfast.

In the breakfast room they talk about what could be bothering the commander.

"Well, we are all frustrated by the garrison's new anti-Voltron policy." Pidge says.

Hunk nods, his mouth being full. Once he swallows he agrees. "You're right Little Buddy."

"And Keith always poured his heart into the garrison and defending Arus," Pidge continues. "Maybe he doesn't know what to do now that our mission here is over."

"Over?" Lance is shocked.

"Well, of course. The orders came in to him yesterday. We've been recalled to Earth for new assignments."

"But what about helping rebuild Arus?" Lance asks.

"That wasn't part of our original assignment," Pidge shrugs, "We're still Alliance pilots. I guess they figure the people of Arus can handle the rest."

"Yeah right." Lance snorts in disbelief.

Hunk nods again. "They still need us. Even without the lions."

"Short of resigning our commissions, we can't defy direct orders." Pidge points out glumly.

Lance and Hunk think about that and nod in unison. No one's happy.

"Do you know when we leave?" Lance asks.

"Orders gave us until the end of the month."

"When did Keith plan on sharing this information?" Lance asks angrily.

Hunk looks up from his second helping of pancakes. "He told us yesterday." Hunk gestures between him and Pidge. "I guess he was going to tell you today."

"Keith probably sent you a message. Did you check your voltcom communication log?"

Lance reddens. He ignored the meeting calls and messages from Keith all day yesterday.

Hunk chimes in. "Keith was kinda upset you blew us off."

Pidge laughs at the obvious understatement. "Yeah, and Lotor only admires the Princess."

Lance winces. "That bad?" He knows how fearsome Keith's temper can be.

His friends nod.

Back in the exercise room the commander tries to run off his frustration and anger. He tried his usual routine of Tai Chi, but it hasn't helped. Even the session with the Lotor bag and the flat out sprint to the lake isn't helping ease his turmoil.

He goes over the communication from this morning with an Academy friend who owed him a favor. His speed increases as he remembers how unhelpful the call was. After trying for an hour to convince his contact to change Lance, Pidge and Hunk's orders to something more in line with their talents and experiences he was shut down again. No one in the garrison seems to want to help.

"_It's gotta be Wade again,"_ he thinks. "_I've gone to every friend, every commanding officer, pulled every string, and used every connection we had. I know they can change the orders. Especially with Pidge's orders. Two of his CO's want him back working systems. I know that even though they didn't say it. I saw that..." _

His chest heaves as he pushes the speed even more out of frustration. The lake path turns up a hill and he is forced to concentrate on it. He slows down a bit as the hill continues to rise. The treadmill adjusts to match the incline shown on the screen.

Coming around a turn opens up the view to the lake. He slows even more to take in the view. The lake is one of Allura's favorite places on Arus.

He laughs at himself in choosing this run. If the orders and the sudden change of the garrison's policy toward Voltron have been occupying his waking hours, Allura is his nighttime obsession. He has replayed their kisses and stolen moments over and over in his mind. He has woken up aching for her every night for the past two weeks. Even thinking about her starts the familiar tightening in his groin. He groans and forces his mind off Allura and back to finishing the run.

As Keith cools down he is able to settle into his meditation session for the first time in days. This time he's able to finish and his mind clears.

He finally accepts the inevitable. _"I can't change the orders for any of us. We need a new plan._

_But first I have to deal with Lance."_

Keith is in his office when Lance swaggers in after lunch.

"Sit down Lt." he orders.

Lance looks up at Keith startled at the formality. He sits without any comment.

"First of all, Lt. McClain because of your failure to appear as requested a notation was put in your file."

Lance looks up. "Hey Keith. That's unfair. I didn't know-"

Keith interrupts. "Yes, you didn't know. Would you care to explain why you didn't know I needed to meet with you?"

Lance looks away. Keith continues. "We've been informal here, but that doesn't mean you can ignore the command structure. You don't get to determine the importance of my requests."

"Understood Commander. I do apologize." Lance is uncharacteristically sober.

"Because of the notation you will probably will be denied a promotion for the next year."

"Oh yeah, cause I want to move up the ladder." The sarcasm is back.

Keith's mouth quirks up in a half smile. He opens a file and passes it over to his friend. "You're not going to like it," he warns.

Keith is right. Lance doesn't like it. His eyes widen as he reads and his left hand clenches into a fist. "A fractal pilot!" he explodes. Lance hurls the folder at the window behind the desk. "Those flimsy, slow, clumsy Garrison excuses for a flier!"

He looks up and glares at his friend. "It can't get any worse than that."

Keith coughs. "Yeah, it can. Your squadron is on Earth."

Lance's jaw hangs open. He is obviously searching for anything to say.

"If it helps," Keith says, "your orders are the best of them all."

Lance snorts. "No, it doesn't help." With one last disparaging glare at the scattered papers on the floor of the office he storms out.

Keith sighs. Telling his team their new orders was one of the hardest things he had to do. No one was happy with their new assignment.

His eyes fall on the final folder. His orders. What he told Lance was right. Lance got the best assignment. Hunk's orders, at least will give him a chance to use his mechanical skills, if not his creativity. Pidge will no doubt adjust the satellite communication systems for his entertainment when he's bored, which will be often.

But they saved the worst for him. It's bad enough he has to leave Arus and everyone he cares about here, but he's not even going back to Earth. The Garrison assigned him to a desk job on a small station on a planet equally far away from Arus and Earth. How they managed to find an assignment that remote is beyond him. He wasn't even aware the Alliance had a station that far out. And if that wasn't bad enough it isn't even a flight desk job. It's nominally a command job, but the station is little more than a supply and fueling dock for cargo ships and the occasional smuggler.

"_Shuffling papers and watching space dust,"_ he thinks. "I'll probably go insane before the tour is up." he muses aloud. "I bet that's what Wade is counting on."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Pidge looks around the control room of the castle again. He feels guilty. He had this wild idea come to him while the team was talking about their new orders. It wasn't fully realized then, but he just couldn't sleep. It kept nagging at him when he closed his eyes. Usually that means he's onto something big. Pidge knows better to ignore that feeling, so here he is working in the control room.

Breaking into the Galaxy Alliance network was harder than he remembered. "They got better hackers than last time, I bet," He says out loud. "I wonder who's the paranoid one?"

He types in yet another passcode. This is his fourth try on this satellite. He swears again in Arusian when the access denied screen shows up. To make it even more difficult he needs to disguise his entry point. He thought about routing his attack through one of the satellites on new Balto, but it just didn't feel right. Picking an allied planet that has no obvious ties to Arus and one where he could 'borrow' a satellite network connection was hard.

"But that's why I'm a genius," he mutters to himself. He's down to three satellites on the planet he chose. "If one of these don't work, I'm gonna have to build one myself and launch it," he grumbles. He takes off his glasses and rubs his burning eyes. "At this point it might be easier."

"Hey little buddy!" Pidge jumps as Hunk comes up behind him. His glasses clatter on the console in front of him.

"Whatcha doing?" Hunk peers at the screen. "Satellite connections? Are the Arusian ones down?"

"No. They're fine." Pidge snaps as he picks up his glasses.

"Then why you not using them?"

"I wanted to..oh never mind Hunk. Stupid idea." Pidge says.

"My little buddy never has stupid ideas." Hunk says loyally.

"I thought maybe we should keep an eye on Wade's movements, finances, stuff like that."

Hunk nods. "See, brilliant idea. And not let him know we are looking, right?"

"Yeah, but I can't get into any satellite connection to cover our tracks. I've been trying all night."

Hunk scans the last three satellites orbiting the planet Pidge chose. "Hmm. I think...there!" He punches a few numbers on a keyboard and the weather satellite connection is open.

Pidge stares open mouthed at his best friend. "How did you do that, Hunk?"

The big guy blushes. "It wasn't anything. A guy I knew at the academy designs these and I helped once or twice when they had to be tuned up in orbit. Remote maintenance codes." He shrugs again. "Like I said, not hard."

"Genius." Pidge says admiringly. "I should have asked you hours ago."

"Teamwork, Pidge." Hunk says. "We always do our best work then."

Pidge nods in agreement as they maneuver into the Alliance network.

Working together they find and download information on the Sky Marshall. Watching the printout pile up they're amazed.

"This can't be good." Hunk comments. Hunk even does the scheduled maintenance on the satellite for his buddy which gives them some cover if the information download is ever traced back to Arus. "I doubt it," he tells Pidge. "Since a bunch of us do the upkeep on them and we're all over the galaxy now."

"But you never can be too careful," Pidge agrees. He yawns widely. "I'm gonna drop this off for Keith and sack out for a few hours."

"Okay buddy." Hunk pats him on the back as he leaves the control room. As Pidge leaves he hears Hunk hum some new song.

Pidge knocks on Keith's office door. Keith answers the door still dressed in his flight suit even at this late hour.

"Hey Pidge. Up kinda late aren't you?" Keith greets him tiredly. He was hoping the late night visitor was Allura. He hasn't seen her all day and the way his schedule for tomorrow is shaping up he won't see her then either. He's amazed how empty his day feels without even brief contact with the Princess.

"I haven't had a bedtime in years, Keith." Pidge retorts.

Keith backs off, his hands in the air. "Didn't mean it that way, buddy. I'm up because there's some one I need to talk to and this was the only time to do it." Keith yawns. "I'd rather be asleep. What's your excuse?" he asks the youngest member of the team.

"I had this idea, and wanted to work on it." Pidge begins. "Here's some of it," he shoves the file at Keith.

One dark eyebrow arches as Keith takes in the file's thickness. "More paperwork, huh?" he grins taking the sting out of the words.

"It's stuff on Wade. Lots more than we thought. I don't think this is going to be easy, Commander." Pidge sighs.

"Thanks." Keith starts to thumb through the papers when his computer beeps. "I gotta go, Pidge. Someone I've been waiting on."

"Sure, Keith. I'm exhausted anyway." Pidge heads off toward his quarters.

Keith tosses the file on his desk and opens the communication line with an old Academy buddy.

Early morning in another wing of the Castle of Lions

Coran knocks on the door that houses the royal offices. The door slides back with a soft hiss. Inside the Princess of Arus sits cross legged on the floor in front of her bookcase. She is surrounded by books.

"Your Highness?" Coran is startled at the disarray in the formerly neat office.

Allura looks up at her adviser. "I'm trying to find some law or tradition that will keep the lions here on Arus."

"You've been holed up in here for days, Your Highness. You should take a break." Coran is concerned for his monarch and her new obsession.

"We need all 5 lions to rebuild, Coran. There has to be a way!"

"I understand, and I'm just as concerned. But there are other things that need your attention," he reminds her. "People want to celebrate the end of the war. We have to reconvene the royal council, rebuild the royal mint, and train the new royal guards. **You** need to do this." Coran gestures to the paperwork and files on the Princess's desk that she has largely ignored.

She sighs. "Yes, I know Coran." Allura stands up. "Send out an invitation to all the surviving members of the council. We will meet in the Castle council chamber. Have Keith, Lance, Pidge, and Hunk start training the new recruits."

Coran winces. He didn't know that she hasn't seen the orders from Galaxy Garrison. "They will be able to start, but-" he trails off at the look on her face.

"But what, Coran?" Her voice is sharp.

"They were recalled yesterday. The Voltron Force has been disbanded by the Alliance."

"**WHAT?!"** Allura is stunned. "They can't do that! Why didn't anyone tell me?" she shouts.

"We didn't realize you didn't know until now. But, Your Highness, you knew this was possible..." Coran trails off as Allura rushes out of her office.


End file.
